To guess the prize, the primary condition is to spend five taels of silver, a condition that deters most people.
After all, five taels of silver was more than a month's expenses for many ordinary families, and if they guessed wrong, the five taels of silver would be wasted. They wanted to see what kind of riddle and prize could be worth so much silver.
The waiter then loudly proclaimed, "Erlang Shen is never one to smile. What is the idiom?"
Nangong Min replied, "One beat, three strokes!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding people immediately cheered for Nangong Min.
The shopkeeper said to Nangong Min, "Sir, you're quite the expert. Please listen to the second riddle."
"Why didn't you say it earlier or later? Just type one word."
Nangong Min smiled and said, "The character '午'!"
"Great!" Cheers erupted from the crowd once again.
The shopkeeper laughed and said, "This customer is quite skilled. If you can guess the last one, the prize is yours."
Nangong Min smiled and said, "Please speak."
"A fiery dragon flashes in the sky, and the sound of drums resounds throughout the heavens. Think about what this dragon is, and what the sound of the drums is. Guess a natural object."
Nangong Min thought for a moment, but Mu Jin next to him excitedly said, "I know this, can I tell you?"
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Of course."
"Lightning!"
After Mu Jin finished speaking, the people in the crowd thought for a moment and suddenly understood the meaning of the riddle, and couldn't help but applaud the two of them.
The shopkeeper smiled and clasped his hands in congratulations to Mu Jin and Nangong Min, presenting them with the auspicious rabbit lantern and the mysterious brocade box.
"You two are very lucky. This year's fortune is yours. I wish you both great luck and continuous good fortune this year."
Nangong Min said, "Thank you, shopkeeper."
"No need to thank me, it's all thanks to your good fortune, gentlemen. Would you like to see if the prize inside this brocade box suits your tastes?"
Nangong Min glanced at Mu Jin, who knew he was asking for her opinion.
At this point, the onlookers chimed in, "Young master, we've waited so long, could you please let us see what kind of prize is worth so much silver!"
Mu Jin glanced at the expectant looks on the faces of the surrounding people, then nodded to Nangong Min, signaling him to open it.
As Nangong Min opened the brocade box, a white jade hairpin came into view.
This white jade hairpin, pure white, seems to embody the essence of heaven and earth and the spirit of mountains and rivers. The jade is warm and smooth, like the surface of a lake reflecting a soft luster under the moonlight, carrying an indescribable tranquility and elegance.
The local people who saw it all exclaimed that it was worth it.
Seeing Mu Jin's arched eyebrows as she stared at the jade hairpin, Nangong Min knew that she liked it too, but he still couldn't help asking Mu Jin.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes, I like it!"
Seeing Mu Jin nod and say she liked it, Nangong Min quickly took out the white jade hairpin from the brocade box, gently removed the wooden hairpin that was originally in Mu Jin's hair, and then inserted the white jade hairpin into Mu Jin's hair bun.
After exchanging a smile, Nangong Min took the rabbit lantern from the shopkeeper and handed it to Mu Jin. After thanking the shopkeeper, Nangong Min took Mu Jin's hand and, amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, squeezed through the throng.
Seeing Mu Jin looking at the rabbit lantern with such curiosity, Nangong Min couldn't help but ask, "Ah Jin, have you never bought a lantern before?"
Mu Jin and Nangong Min laughed and said, "No, this is the first time."
Nangong Min said, "If Ah Jin likes it, then I will buy Ah Jin a lantern every year during the River Lantern Festival, okay?"
Every year, Mu Jin knew this was the promise Nangong Min wanted from her.
Nangong Min hoped that the two of them would be together every year during the River Lantern Festival. Mu Jin looked at Nangong Min's nervous yet expectant eyes and finally smiled and nodded.
Overjoyed to receive Mu Jin's renewed promise, Nangong Min kept his expression hidden, only a slight smile playing on his lips. He held Mu Jin's hand tightly and led her towards the riverbank, where a river lantern blessing ceremony was being held.
Both of them wore masks, so passersby could not see their faces. However, the pedestrians along the way looked at them with envy as they saw that Mu Jin was carrying a lucky rabbit lantern from Yutang Pavilion.
Nangong Min brought Mu Jin to the riverbank, where the crowds were just as large as those in the market.
Each person held a river lantern, carefully crafted from bamboo strips and colored paper, in various shapes—some resembling blooming lotuses, others like swimming fish. Each lantern carried the people's hopes and dreams.
"Would you like to release river lanterns?" Nangong Min asked Mu Jin.
Mu Jin nodded; she didn't believe that releasing a river lantern would grant her wish.
But in this situation, she also wished that she could place a wishing lantern for her father and elder brother who were far away at the border, so that they could be safe and sound forever. After all, she still felt lingering fear every time she thought of the dream she had in the cave that night.
The two bought two lotus lanterns from a vendor's stall by the river, walked to the riverbank, and gently placed the lanterns into the water.
Nangong Min gently held Mu Jin's shoulders, watching the river lanterns drift slowly with the water, as if they were messengers of their wishes, carrying their blessings and expectations, drifting into the distance.
Nangong Min turned to look at Mu Jin, who was nestled beside him, and asked, "What did you wish for, A-Jin?"
Mu Jin said, "I hope that Father and Brother can live a peaceful and safe life."
Mu Jin looked up at Nangong Min and asked him, "And what about you?"
Nangong Min slowly removed the mask from his face, gazing at Mu Jin with tenderness.
“I made a vow to the gods, wishing Ah Jin a lifetime of peace and health, that all evils be warded off, that she may have no worries, that she may rise high, that everything may go as she wishes, that she may have someone to love and be loved.”
Mu Jin also took off her mask, her eyebrows curved and the corners of her mouth turned up.
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